What AB software are you talking about? This sounds like a Windows or a hardware issue. Blaming AB sounds unfair. Using an external hard drive for a VM is slow unless its on USB 3.0 or something. I know I use to do this. Now I have a larger hard drive instead. AB is reducing the number of cables that you need with the newer equipment. Usually you use an Ethernet cable, serial cable or with some stuff, a USB cable. AB supports most things far longer than most other companies. It's hard to support software on many different OSes.